A federal judge sided with Connecticut and New York in their joint lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its administrator, Scott Pruitt, for failing to comply with the Clean Air Act”™s requirement to control the smog pollution from upwind states that has permeated the region.
The lawsuit charged that the interstate transport of air pollution from upwind states outside of the Ozone Transport Region ran afoul of the 2008 federal smog standard. John G. Koeltl, a judge with the U.S. Southern District of New York, ruled that the EPA must create action plans to address this matter by June 29 and must make the plans publicly available by Dec. 6.
“Connecticut suffers from air quality problems due to pollution sources in other states that are out of our control,” said Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen. “Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA has a duty to take action when upwind states do not meet certain air quality standards, and, in this case, the EPA clearly failed to do so.”
“As many as two in three New Yorkers are breathing unhealthy levels of smog,” said New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood. “The court”™s decision is a major win for New Yorkers and our public health, forcing the Trump EPA to follow the law and act to address smog pollution blowing into New York from upwind states. The Trump administration has repeatedly flouted the law ”“ and over and over again, we”™ve taken them to court and won.”
